1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved graphical user interface and in particular the present invention relates to an improved system and method for creating a selectable toolbar button from a pull-down menu selection with maximum efficiency and minimum complexity. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved graphical user interface which creates a selectable toolbar button in response to a user selecting and dragging a menu item and dropping the menu item onto a toolbar.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional computer systems often employ a graphical user interface (GUI) to present information to the user and to accept user commands. A graphical user interface is a type of display format which enables a user to command the computer system. Additionally, a graphical user interface allows a user to start processes, view file content and to select tools. Additionally, GUI allows a user to command many selectable tools by pointing to a desired selection and depressing a push button. A desired selection might be a textual reference or a list of menu items on a computer display screen. A user selectable choice can generally be activated by either a keyboard or a push-button switch located on a pointing device such as a mouse. A mouse is a commonly utilized pointing device, generally containing more than one button. A pointing device allows a user to interact with a product or operating environment, such a graphical user interface.
Some conventional graphical user interfaces provide a cursor and scroll bar for scrolling through portions of a viewable object. A viewable object can contain multiple components such as spreadsheets, text, hotlinks, pictures, sound, and video objects. However, a viewable object is not limited to these components. In many types of graphical user interfaces, a vertical or horizontal bar at the side, bottom or top of a graphical user interface window can be utilized in conjunction with a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, or stylus to move a pointer about in a graphical user interface. Additional vertical and horizontal bars may contain xe2x80x9cselectable buttons.xe2x80x9d Selectable buttons are commonly called xe2x80x9ciconsxe2x80x9d by those familiar with graphical user interfaces. An icon is a selectable button viewable within a graphical user interface, typically containing a pictorial representation or a mnemonic of a selectable feature.
Generally, the pictorial representation contained within an icon is a graphic symbol allowing a user to associate an icon with a particular selectable function. An icon can be selected by pointing to the icon utilizing a pointing device and activating a push-button on the mouse when the icon is pointed to. Pointing to a selectable icon and depressing a mouse button is referred to as xe2x80x9cpointing and clickingxe2x80x9d on the icon. xe2x80x9cPointing and clickingxe2x80x9d is a user friendly way to select a particular function or software application. Generally, an icon contains a visual mnemonic which allows a user to identify a selection without having to remember commands or type in commands utilizing a keyboard.
Horizontal or vertical bars containing textual menu category headings are commonly referred to as menu bars. Horizontal or vertical bars containing icons are commonly referred to as toolbars. Toolbars are a well known part of graphical user interfaces which simplify access to files and programs utilizing xe2x80x9cpoint and clickxe2x80x9d user commands. Toolbar selectable user commands provide efficient interface between the user and a computer system. Often, user selectable commands located on a toolbar are duplicated in the menu bar. It is easier and more efficient to activate selections within a toolbar than to locate and select menu headings and corresponding menu items. Menu items are not continuously displayed and a menu heading must be selected to view a list of menu items. However, icons on a toolbar are always visible and immediately accessible by a user.
Some graphical user interfaces employ so-called xe2x80x9cbubble helpxe2x80x9d. The xe2x80x9cbubble helpxe2x80x9d feature within a graphical user interface allows a user to select a mode wherein, when a graphical pointer is placed over a toolbar button, a small conversation bubble appears on the screen containing information about the function performed by the selectable button. Bubble help can increase the visual complexity of the graphical user interface.
Each computer operator utilizes a computer for different tasks. Different users have different computational requirements and each user utilizes different avenues to reach the same results. Consequently, each computer operator utilizes different menu and toolbar items according to his or her requirements. For example, one operator may utilize a specific toolbar icon many times per day, while another operator may almost never utilize this identical selection. It would be desirable to allow a user to efficiently create a custom toolbar derived from menu item selections. Utilization of toolbar buttons to access software tools provides a user friendly and efficient operator interface.
A computer user may desire a specific toolbar selection or icon to be readily available for a short time while a specific project is undertaken. After completion of that project, a different toolbar would increase a user""s efficiency, and therefore, be highly desirable to the user. Some application programs such as Windows 95 or Lotus Notes allow the user to add icons to a toolbar. However, all such application programs which allow adding of icons to a toolbar, accomplish toolbar customization with a series of menu selections and mode based decisions which are contained under menu headings. Windows 95, Lotus and other programs require opening multiple files and performing multiple steps, such as selecting through a series of menu and sub-menu items. Windows 95 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
In all known graphical user interfaces, it is not intuitive to the user what menu items or functions must be selected by the user in order to create a new toolbar icon or to modify an existing toolbar. Currently, custom toolbar methods are convoluted and cumbersome such that many novice computer users will not attempt toolbar alteration. If toolbar alternation is attempted and the existing toolbar is degraded, it could require considerable time and effort to recover or return the toolbar to an original configuration. Additionally, if a user erroneously creates a toolbar which is less efficient or inoperable, valuable time may be wasted.
With known graphical user interfaces, each time a sub-menu item is selected, which is listed under a menu heading, user precision is required to highlight the menu heading, traverse the newly displayed sub-menu items, then move laterally to a sub-menu or auxiliary menu and then traverse the sub-menu while keeping the mouse button depressed and then releasing the mouse button on the desired sub-menu selection. A computer operator is required to perform abrupt changes in the motion of the mouse to select a concealed menu item. During menu item selection, a user cannot be clumsy or inattentive, because a menu item selection might be made which was not desired. A sub-menu item is typically less than quarter of an inch in height on a typical display or monitor. Therefore, substantial dexterity is required to traverse menus and select desired menu items utilizing a pointing device, further coordinated with mouse button activation. In contrast, items selectable from a toolbar do not require activation of menus, traversing of menus and/or traversing of sub-menus. Erroneous menu selections often result when a user over-shoots his intended menu item selection by only a fraction of an inch.
It would, therefore, be desirable to devise a method of minimal complexity which allows users to efficiently create a custom toolbar. It would be further advantageous if the method would retain current toolbar and pull-down behavior, but extend user functionality without increasing the conversion complexity.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an enhanced graphical user interface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for creating a selectable toolbar button from a pull-down menu selection with maximum efficiency and minimum complexity.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved graphical user interface which creates a selectable toolbar button in response to a pointing device input of selecting and dragging a menu item then dropping the menu item onto a toolbar.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. A method is disclosed for utilization within a graphical user interface having at least one pull-down menu and at least one tool bar. The method initiates by a user selecting a menu heading which displays a pull-down menu in response to a first user input, such as a left pointing device button or a left mouse button. Next, a user selects a menu item within the displayed pull-down menu again utilizing the pointing device. Then the user designates a menu item for conversion by utilizing a second user input or a right mouse button. Next, the designated menu item is dragged from the pull-down menu and dropped onto the toolbar in response to the pointing device and a second user input. The method then automatically converts the dropped menu item into a selectable toolbar button within the toolbar. A user who frequently utilizes a menu item within a pull-down menu can convert frequently utilized menu items into toolbar buttons by designating and dragging the menu items and then dropping the menu item onto the toolbar utilizing a right mouse button.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.